Over the next four years, the Woodland Trust will be commemorating the centenary of the First World War by planting millions of trees across the country – and you have the chance to create a lasting tribute to those who lived and served during the war.

The Woodland Trust is the UK’s leading woodland conservation charity, championing native woods and trees. It owns more than 1,000 sites across the UK, and now has ambitious plans to create four Centenary Woods – one each in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland – to commemorate the anniversary. These woods will offer a unique place for reflection, with trees planted in memory of people who lived and served during the war.

Donations made towards the project will play a huge part in purchasing, developing and caring for the new woods.

The Trust and the Echo are hoping readers will dedicate a tree in one of the Centenary Woods. Your donation of £20 will enable the Trust to dedicate a single tree to create a lasting tribute to your ancestors, which will become part of a larger woodland story and stand as a peaceful tribute for future generations to appreciate.

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So dedicating a tree in the Centenary Woods is a lasting, unique and very personal way to commemorate those who lived and died during the First World War. And practically every family in the country has someone who gave their all and so deserves to be remembered in this lasting, unique and personal way.

The Echo would like to publish the most moving stories from local people as they dedicate their trees so please do get in touch with us.

Your local paper will be paid 10% of donations to help pay for the cost of this appeal.

The remaining 90% of your donation will go to the Trust.

To find out more about the project, to dedicate a tree or to make a contribution to any of the Woodland Trust’s four new sites, simply visit: www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/mylocalpaper or call 0800 915 1914.

Comments (7)

Virtually everyone who was alive back then served in their own way, not least the women who were left behind and who had to, for the first time ever, work in factories en masse and do all sorts of jobs previously done by men.

There were also nurses in the field hospitals out in France and Belgium.

All those who contributed are entitled to be commemorated, including my grandad who was a sapper in the Royal Engineers and my nan who worked in munitions.

ALL their contributions should never be forgotten. A fine generation of people. Brave and resolute. They fought on without the aid of political correctness and elfnsafety and other nonsense and would be appalled if they were here today, to see what they fought for.

God help us all.

A great idea.
Virtually everyone who was alive back then served in their own way, not least the women who were left behind and who had to, for the first time ever, work in factories en masse and do all sorts of jobs previously done by men.
There were also nurses in the field hospitals out in France and Belgium.
All those who contributed are entitled to be commemorated, including my grandad who was a sapper in the Royal Engineers and my nan who worked in munitions.
ALL their contributions should never be forgotten. A fine generation of people. Brave and resolute. They fought on without the aid of political correctness and elfnsafety and other nonsense and would be appalled if they were here today, to see what they fought for.
God help us all.Kim Gandy

Virtually everyone who was alive back then served in their own way, not least the women who were left behind and who had to, for the first time ever, work in factories en masse and do all sorts of jobs previously done by men.

There were also nurses in the field hospitals out in France and Belgium.

All those who contributed are entitled to be commemorated, including my grandad who was a sapper in the Royal Engineers and my nan who worked in munitions.

ALL their contributions should never be forgotten. A fine generation of people. Brave and resolute. They fought on without the aid of political correctness and elfnsafety and other nonsense and would be appalled if they were here today, to see what they fought for.

God help us all.

I found myself nodding along and agreeing with your tribute, until you went and spoiled it with the last paragraph. I wish people wouldn't drag the sacrifice of that generation into making political points, either left or right.

[quote][p][bold]Kim Gandy[/bold] wrote:
A great idea.
Virtually everyone who was alive back then served in their own way, not least the women who were left behind and who had to, for the first time ever, work in factories en masse and do all sorts of jobs previously done by men.
There were also nurses in the field hospitals out in France and Belgium.
All those who contributed are entitled to be commemorated, including my grandad who was a sapper in the Royal Engineers and my nan who worked in munitions.
ALL their contributions should never be forgotten. A fine generation of people. Brave and resolute. They fought on without the aid of political correctness and elfnsafety and other nonsense and would be appalled if they were here today, to see what they fought for.
God help us all.[/p][/quote]I found myself nodding along and agreeing with your tribute, until you went and spoiled it with the last paragraph. I wish people wouldn't drag the sacrifice of that generation into making political points, either left or right.Hawthorne

Virtually everyone who was alive back then served in their own way, not least the women who were left behind and who had to, for the first time ever, work in factories en masse and do all sorts of jobs previously done by men.

There were also nurses in the field hospitals out in France and Belgium.

All those who contributed are entitled to be commemorated, including my grandad who was a sapper in the Royal Engineers and my nan who worked in munitions.

ALL their contributions should never be forgotten. A fine generation of people. Brave and resolute. They fought on without the aid of political correctness and elfnsafety and other nonsense and would be appalled if they were here today, to see what they fought for.

God help us all.

I found myself nodding along and agreeing with your tribute, until you went and spoiled it with the last paragraph. I wish people wouldn't drag the sacrifice of that generation into making political points, either left or right.

Sorry if the truth hurts.

[quote][p][bold]Hawthorne[/bold] wrote:
[quote][p][bold]Kim Gandy[/bold] wrote:
A great idea.
Virtually everyone who was alive back then served in their own way, not least the women who were left behind and who had to, for the first time ever, work in factories en masse and do all sorts of jobs previously done by men.
There were also nurses in the field hospitals out in France and Belgium.
All those who contributed are entitled to be commemorated, including my grandad who was a sapper in the Royal Engineers and my nan who worked in munitions.
ALL their contributions should never be forgotten. A fine generation of people. Brave and resolute. They fought on without the aid of political correctness and elfnsafety and other nonsense and would be appalled if they were here today, to see what they fought for.
God help us all.[/p][/quote]I found myself nodding along and agreeing with your tribute, until you went and spoiled it with the last paragraph. I wish people wouldn't drag the sacrifice of that generation into making political points, either left or right.[/p][/quote]Sorry if the truth hurts.Kim Gandy

Virtually everyone who was alive back then served in their own way, not least the women who were left behind and who had to, for the first time ever, work in factories en masse and do all sorts of jobs previously done by men.

There were also nurses in the field hospitals out in France and Belgium.

All those who contributed are entitled to be commemorated, including my grandad who was a sapper in the Royal Engineers and my nan who worked in munitions.

ALL their contributions should never be forgotten. A fine generation of people. Brave and resolute. They fought on without the aid of political correctness and elfnsafety and other nonsense and would be appalled if they were here today, to see what they fought for.

God help us all.

I found myself nodding along and agreeing with your tribute, until you went and spoiled it with the last paragraph. I wish people wouldn't drag the sacrifice of that generation into making political points, either left or right.

Sorry if the truth hurts.

It's not about whether the truth (as you see it) hurts or not. It's about whether you think it's appropriate to use the war dead to make a political point. I wouldn't choose to, that's all.

[quote][p][bold]Kim Gandy[/bold] wrote:
[quote][p][bold]Hawthorne[/bold] wrote:
[quote][p][bold]Kim Gandy[/bold] wrote:
A great idea.
Virtually everyone who was alive back then served in their own way, not least the women who were left behind and who had to, for the first time ever, work in factories en masse and do all sorts of jobs previously done by men.
There were also nurses in the field hospitals out in France and Belgium.
All those who contributed are entitled to be commemorated, including my grandad who was a sapper in the Royal Engineers and my nan who worked in munitions.
ALL their contributions should never be forgotten. A fine generation of people. Brave and resolute. They fought on without the aid of political correctness and elfnsafety and other nonsense and would be appalled if they were here today, to see what they fought for.
God help us all.[/p][/quote]I found myself nodding along and agreeing with your tribute, until you went and spoiled it with the last paragraph. I wish people wouldn't drag the sacrifice of that generation into making political points, either left or right.[/p][/quote]Sorry if the truth hurts.[/p][/quote]It's not about whether the truth (as you see it) hurts or not. It's about whether you think it's appropriate to use the war dead to make a political point. I wouldn't choose to, that's all.Hawthorne

Virtually everyone who was alive back then served in their own way, not least the women who were left behind and who had to, for the first time ever, work in factories en masse and do all sorts of jobs previously done by men.

There were also nurses in the field hospitals out in France and Belgium.

All those who contributed are entitled to be commemorated, including my grandad who was a sapper in the Royal Engineers and my nan who worked in munitions.

ALL their contributions should never be forgotten. A fine generation of people. Brave and resolute. They fought on without the aid of political correctness and elfnsafety and other nonsense and would be appalled if they were here today, to see what they fought for.

God help us all.

A great idea.

Virtually everyone who was alive back then served in their own way, Men the most as it was a man's war, the women played a part also, for they had to, for the first time ever, work a full days graft and do all sorts of jobs previously done by men.

They soon realised there is more to work, than house..

ALL their contributions should never be forgotten. A fine generation of people. Brave and resolute. They fought on without the aid of political correctness and elfnsafety and other nonsense and would be appalled to learn of the hundreds of deaths caused by accidents due to the lack of safety practices in the workplace.

Thank the Unions

[quote][p][bold]Kim Gandy[/bold] wrote:
A great idea.
Virtually everyone who was alive back then served in their own way, not least the women who were left behind and who had to, for the first time ever, work in factories en masse and do all sorts of jobs previously done by men.
There were also nurses in the field hospitals out in France and Belgium.
All those who contributed are entitled to be commemorated, including my grandad who was a sapper in the Royal Engineers and my nan who worked in munitions.
ALL their contributions should never be forgotten. A fine generation of people. Brave and resolute. They fought on without the aid of political correctness and elfnsafety and other nonsense and would be appalled if they were here today, to see what they fought for.
God help us all.[/p][/quote]A great idea.
Virtually everyone who was alive back then served in their own way, Men the most as it was a man's war, the women played a part also, for they had to, for the first time ever, work a full days graft and do all sorts of jobs previously done by men.
They soon realised there is more to work, than house..
ALL their contributions should never be forgotten. A fine generation of people. Brave and resolute. They fought on without the aid of political correctness and elfnsafety and other nonsense and would be appalled to learn of the hundreds of deaths caused by accidents due to the lack of safety practices in the workplace.
Thank the UnionsNow listen for I have something to say